Compound Nouns

Noun + Noun

Observation

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ

ᓈᐹᐤ

ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐹᐤ

mishtikw

+

naapaau

=

mishtikunaapaau

wood

man

carpenter

The noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐹᐤmishtikunaapaau is made up of two nouns: the words ᒥᔥᑎᒄmishtikw and the word ᓈᐹᐤnaapau. Such a noun is called a compound noun. It is made by adding two nouns together. There can be other ways of making compound nouns. In [noun + noun] compounds, the independent (long) forms of the noun are joined together. The compound noun has the second noun as its head, which means, for example, that a ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐹᐤmishtikunaapaau is a type of ᓈᐹᐤnaapaau. The second noun is the one that gives its gender (animate or inanimate) to the compound noun. Therefore, the noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐹᐤmishtikunaapaau is animate because ᓈᐹᐤnaapaau is animate.

Noun

Noun

Noun

ᐧᐋᐳᔓᔮᓐ

ᓂᐹᑭᓐ

ᐧᐋᐳᔓᔮᓂᐹᑭᓐ

waapushuyaan

+

nipaakin

=

waapushuyaanipaakin

rabbitskin

blanket

rabbitskin blanket

ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ

ᐧᐃᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ

ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓂᐧᐃᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ

waapishtaan

+

winihiikin

=

waapishtaaniwinihiikin

marten

trap

marten trap

ᓂᔅᒃ

ᒫᔥᑖᒄ

ᓂᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᒄ

nisk

+

(n)imaashtaakw

=

niskimaashtaakw

goose

smoke-dried carcass

dried goose

ᓂᒫᔅ

ᓂᒫᔥᑖᒄ

ᓂᒫᓯᒫᔥᑖᒄ

nimaas

+

(n)imaashtaakw

=

nimaasimaashtaakw

fish

smoke-dried carcass

dried fish

ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐤ

ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ

ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐅᔥᑯᑌᐤ

nimischiiu

+

ishkutaau

=

nimischiiushkutaau

thunder

fire

electricity

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ

ᓈᐹᐤ

ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐹᐤ

mishtikw

+

naapaau

=

mishtikunaapaau

wood

man

carpenter

ᐱᔮᓯᐤ

(ᐅ)ᐲᐧᐄᐦ

ᐱᔮᓯᐅᐲᐧᐄᐦ

piyaasiu

+

(u)piiwiih

=

piyaasiupiiwiih

fowl

(his/her/its) feather

fowl feather

ᒋᔥᑐᐦᒋᑭᓐ

ᐱᒋᐤ

ᒋᔥᑐᐦᒋᑭᓂᐱᒋᐤ

chishtuhchikin

+

pichiu

=

chishtuhchikinipichiu

violin

gum

violin resin

ᓂᐲ

ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ

ᓂᐲᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ

nipii

+

aschihkw

=

nipiiuschihkw

water

bucket

water bucket

ᐱᒦ

ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ

ᐱᒦᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ

pimii

+

aschihkw

=

pimiiuschihkw

grease

bucket

grease bucket

Sometimes the nouns themselves are already compounded or derived, either the left noun or the right noun:

ᐃᔥᑯᑖᐤ

[ ᐅᑖᐹᓐ + ᐋᔅᒄ ]

ᐃᔥᑯᑖᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ

ishkutaau

+

[ utaapaan + aaskw ]

=

ishkutaautaapaanaaskw

fire

[ vehicle + long and rigid ]

fire truck

[ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ + ᐲᐧᐄ ]

ᓲᑉ

ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᐲᐧᐄᓲᑉ

[mishtikwaan + piiwii]

+

suup

=

mishtikwaanipiiwiisuup

[ head + hair ]

soap

shampoo

[ ᐃᔥᑯᑖᐤ + ᐅᑖᐹᓐ ]

ᒫᔅᑭᓂᐤ

ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓂᒫᔅᑭᓂᐤ

[ ishkutaau + utaapaan ]

+

maaskiniu

=

ishkutaautaapaanimaaskiniu

[ fire+vehicule ]

path

train track

Sometimes a shorter form of the noun in final position is used. For example, the noun ᓈᑖᐤnaapaau, also has a short form ᐋᐹᐤ-aapaau, which is used to create the word ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐹᐤatihkwaapaaucaribou man. The short form for ᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐmischisin is ᐃᔅᒋᓯᓐ-ischisin.

ᐊᑎᐦᒄ

ᐋᐹᐤ

ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐹᐤ

atihkw

+

aapaau

=

atihkwaapaau

caribou

man

caribou man

ᒨᓱᔮᓐ

ᐃᔅᒋᓯᓐ

ᒨᓱᔮᓂᔅᒋᓯᓐ

muusuyaan

+

ischisin

=

muusuyaanischisin

moosehide

shoe

moosehide moccasin

Dependent Noun + Noun

A dependent noun is one which always shows up with a personal prefix. They are mostly either body parts or kinship terms, but there are a few others such as ᒦᐧᐃᑦmiiwitsuitcase, container, box and ᒦᒡmiichhome. They may form the first element of a compound noun but it seems to be mainly body part nouns which do so.